The Parable of theFriend at Midnight

The parable of the Friend at Midnight shows that sometimes we are not able to solve an unexpected problem, but have to reach out to a third party for the solution.

Luke 11:5-13 [Remember this is a "parable" - a "word-picture"]

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,

6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’

7 And
suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is
locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help
you.’ 8 But
I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you
keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need
because of your shameless persistence.

9 “And
so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will
be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “You fathers - if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?

12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!

13 So
if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him.”

The Parable:

Sometimes we are not able to solve a crisis ourselves, but have to reach out and depend on a third party for the solution.

Never give up asking

Never accept "no" as a final answer

Persistence does not allow inconvenience to stand in the way of a solution being found.

What did he ask for? Bread... which is a basic need. This is not a request for extravagant food or dainties...

He keep knocking and asking, shamelessly, ignoring the refusals and ignoring excuses until the need was met

This is one side of the coin...to be persistent in prayer, in requesting what you have need of...

The "imagination" is a whole world
inside the mind...

Parables are powerful "word-pictures" that are meant to be engrafted
into our thinking...as mental pictures do control our thought-life.

That's
where the "imagination" gets involved. The imagination allows mental exploration of the past,
present, future. It is the ability to see pictures and images in the
"movie theater" of the mind. The imagination is the "workshop" of the
human mind. It is the only thing in the world we have complete control
over. That's why GOD takes great interest of what goes on there, and judges what we allow to grow there - Genesis 6.5

There's a "hidden" part of this parable. Here it is...

The parable of the friend at midnight evaluates what we ask for and the genuineness of each request, and what can be expected in response...

The Holy Spirit watches over our prayers...

There are two sides to this coin [parable]...

Now we look at the second side of this coin...

When does the Holy Spirit of GOD say "no" and not give us what we are praying and hoping for?

When we are hell-bent on asking for the wrong thing, GOD sometimes has to say no - BECAUSE we think what we are asking for is good for us - BUT GOD in His foreknowledge knows, that in fact, if we get what we want - it will "bite" us just like a scorpion. We do not see it as a "scorpion" - we see it as something harmless and beneficial - but GOD sees it as destructive, and blocks it...

We ask for "an egg"...

We see it as an egg, GOD sees it as a scorpion. Something bad for us...

GOD knows we are asking for the wrong thing - as our heavenly Father, He will not let us have it - but will let us have something else that will feed and nourish us - as an egg would do so...

A true father does not give a scorpion when an egg is asked for...why would GOD do so?

Remember the Garden in Eden and the Serpent? Satan will gladly give us a scorpion when we ask for an egg...

Remember, Genesis 3. When Eve thought she was getting a piece of "fruit" - Adam and Eve, and the rest of us "got a death sentence"...Eve thought she was getting wisdom - she got the "wrong kind" - the anti - GOD, corrupt, everything against GOD's government wisdom...which showed up real fast when her boy [Cain ] got jealous and killed [ Abel ]. Where did that come from, so quickly? New information from the wrong tree tore the family apart in the first generation...and it went downhill from there!

Only the Holy Spirit of GOD can protect us. Only the Holy Spirit can help us to "get the right information and desires" in our prayers...

That's why Paul was concerned, in 2 Corinthians 11.3 where he makes a startling connection between the deception of Eve and the New Testament believer..

Consider these words, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds, [ perceptions, thoughts, thought patterns, mental ideas, imagination ] may somehow be led astray "from" your sincere and pure devotion to Christ..." These are believers, folks!

See where the trickery is here?

Even in prayer, when we do not have a willingness for GOD's will, and we insist on getting what we want - we open ourselves to deception, and deep regret!

To us it looks like a fish we are asking for - but GOD sees beyond our sight, and tries to lead us into righteousness.

The same way when we ask for a "fish" - He will not allow it, and do everything He can to block it - IF it is known to GOD to be a "snake" - or something from Satan... GOD stands guard, through the Holy Spirit - to evaluate the prayers we earnestly pray for - are they good for us? Or will the things we are asking - bring shame and remorse into our life...

You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?

12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!

13 So
if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him.”

When GOD says, "no" - don't push for a "yes" - "Not my will, but Thine be done" was good enough for Jesus when He prayed in Gethsemane. Can we live with GOD's decisions for us?